Factors influencing HIV testing among women in Mozambique: insights from the 2022/23 demographic and health survey

Abstract Background Mozambique bears a high HIV burden, with low testing uptake among young women. This study analyzes socio-demographic and behavioral factors influencing HIV testing among women aged 15–49, using data from the 2022/23 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Methods A secondary analysis of the Mozambique DHS 2023 dataset was performed using R (Version 4.4.2, R Core Team) to explore factors associated with HIV testing uptake. Variables including age, education, marital status, geographic location, and socioeconomic indicators were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and associations were evaluated using a modified Poisson regression model with robust standard errors to estimate risk ratios. Both univariate and multivariable models were used to identify significant predictors, accounting for the survey’s complex design. Results The analysis included 13,183 women aged 15–49 years, of whom 67.56% reported having ever been tested for HIV. Multivariate analysis revealed that older age, higher educational attainment, greater household wealth, living with a partner, recent health facility visits, and internet use were significantly associated with higher likelihood of HIV testing. Conversely, rural residence was significantly associated with lower likelihood of testing. Regional variation in testing uptake was also observed, with most provinces showing significantly higher testing rates compared to Niassa. Variables including religion, health insurance, newspaper reading, and television viewing were not independently associated with HIV testing after adjustment for other covariates (all p > 0.05). Conclusions Mozambique must prioritize expanding HIV testing in rural areas by enhancing healthcare access and community outreach. Promoting awareness through digital platforms and integrating HIV education into public programs can further improve testing uptake. Strengthening education and healthcare services is vital to achieving better prevention and early treatment outcomes.